Philip b



Patented Mar. I4, |899.

P. B. HARRISUN.

BRAKE BEAM.

(Application Bled Dec. 30, 1897.)

lll/1l 'a btomeg (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP B. HARRISON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHICAGORAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BRAKE-BEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,079, dated March14, 1899.

Application iiled December 30,1897. Serial No. 664.574. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.- l

Be it known that I, PHILIP B. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois,- haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beams; and Ihereby declare the following to be a' full, clear, and ekact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which--Figure lis a plan view of a brake-beam, one end broken away to show aconstruction which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end viewof the brake-beam, the brake-head being in section on the line o: Fig.3, to show an end view of the devices embodying my invention. In Fig. 2the brake-beam is shown as improperly hungthat is to say, with thetension member and strut inclined to the plane of the track. Fig.

3 is an enlarged view of the end of the brakebeam, also broken away, asin Fig. l, to show the construction which embodies my invention. Fig. 4is a detached perspective view, still further enlarged, of the end ofthe compression member and the slip-sleeve embodying my invention. Fig.5 is a transverse sectional view of the compression member and sleeve,taken on the line y y, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view ofthe compression member and sleeve, taken at the same point as Fig. 5,showing a modification in which lthe slot in the slip-sleeve is no Widerthan will permit the passage of the tension member.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of that class of trussedmetallic brake-beams wherein are combined a tubular compression member,a strut or post, a tension member, and a brake-head, and has for itsobjects, first, to transfer the torsional strain (heretofore eX- ertedby the brake-head on the compression member) to the tension member, andthus to relieve the compression member of torsional strain when thevbeamyis improperly hung, and, second, to increase the end bearing of thebrake-head and proportionately reduce the slack incident to the wearbetween the parts necessarily arising in service. In brakebeams of thisclass where the compression member is hollow, whether the same be acomplete tube slotted or indented for the passage of the tension-rod oran incomplete tube having a longitudinal slot through which thetension-rod passes, the end bearing between the brake-heads and thecompression member is necessarily limited to that afforded by thethickness of the metal in the tube, and this under theconstantly-recurring movement or spring of the compression member in theheads tends to wear away the bearing and produce slack in the beam,which is highly objectionable.l Furthermore, as in this class ofbrake-beams the head is fixed in a given position on the compressionmember and bears a definite position with relation to the tension-rodand strut, yif the beam is improperly hun g-that is to say, the strutand tension-rod are canted out of a horizontal plane-when the brakes areappliedthe strain will always tend to draw the strut and tension-rodinto a horizontal position, which, being resisted by the brake-heads,(which bear on the wheels,) will result in the transfer of the load fromthe tension member to the compression member, and a torsional strainwill be exerted on the compression member at its Weakest points. Toovercome these several objectionable features of construction, I combinewith the tension member,compression member,and brakehead a slip-sleeveconfined as to longitudinal movement on the compression member andprovided with means for engaging the brakehead and fixing the throwthereof, whereby either by the rotary movement of the slip- Sleeve onthe compression member or the rotation of the compression member, as thecase may be, all torsion passes from the brakehead directly to thetension member to the relief of the compression member, and such aconstruction embodies the main feature of my invention.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinaftermore fully appear.

I Will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that othersskilled in the art to which itv appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the compression member, B the post orstrut, C the tension member or truss-rod, D D the brakeheads, and c cthe tension-nuts of a trussed brake-beam, which may be such as hereinshown or any of the approved forms of beams, provided the back orcompression member is substantially tubular and has end bearings in thebrake-heads or their equivalents.

In the present instance the compression member A is shown as a completetube or pipe slotted, as at a, for the passage of the end of the tensionmember C, the tongue of metal a being left attached, though the same maybe removed, if desired. The end of the compression member is notched, asat 1, and in prior constructions of the beam this notch has been of awidth substantially the width of lug or projection d on the interior ofbrakehead D, (see Fig. 3,) which lug it received, so as to prevent therotation of the brakehead and by its location determine the throw of thebrake-head in underhung beams. In my present construction this notch 1in the end of the compression member has a dilierent purpose and doesnot receive the lug d. It is therefore made much wider than said lug andreceives a narrow tongue or lug on the slip-sleeve E to prevent thelongitudinal movement of slip-sleeve E on the compression member A, butpermit of a limited rotary movement between the sleeve E and compressionmember A.

E indicates a slip-sleeve, which may be al short section 'of pipe or acylindrical malleable casting of such length as to extend from the endof the compression member A to a point within which the tension member Centers the compression member A, the inner diameter of said slip-sleevebeing slightly greater than the exterior diameter of the compressionmember. Slip-sleeve E is slotted, as at 3, for the passage of thetension member C, and said slot may be no wider than will permit thepassage of the tension-rod C; but is preferably of snch width as willallow of a slight rotary movement of the slip-sleeve on the compressionmember.

In the outer end of the slip-sleeve E, at a point corresponding withnotch 1 of` the compression member, is a notch 4 to receive the lug d onthe interior of brake-head D, (see Fig. 3,) and said notch,which is onlyof suiiicient width to receive the lug d and prevent the rotation of thebrake-head, thus fixing the throw of the head, is preferably formed bydepressing a tongue 5, which enters the notch 1 in the end of thecompression member A and prevents the longitudinal movement of theslip-sleeve E on the compression member, while (owing to the width ofnotch l) it permits a slight rotary movement of said sleeve.

`It is evident that other means may be employed to prevent thelongitudinal movement of the slip-sleeve E on the compression member Aand retain the ends of sleeve and compression member in the sameplane-as, for instance, a collar onvthe compression member, (see fulllines, Fig. 1;) but I prefer the tongue 5 as the simplest and leastexpensive means.

The construction of the parts being substantially such as hereinbeforepointed out, they are assembled by first placing the strut or post Binposition on the compression member A and then applying the slip-sleevesE to the end of the compression member with the tongues 5 in the notches1 in the ends of the beam, after which the brake-heads D D are slippedon the sleeves E, with the lugs d entering the notches 4 in the ends ofthe sleeves E, and finally the ends of the tensionrod C are passedthrough the slip sleeves, compression member, and brake-heads, and thewhole secured by the tension nuts c c, the latter being tightened totake all slack from the structure and to camber the compression member,if desired.

When in service, the increased end bearing between the compressionmember and the brake-heads due to the double thickness of metal willmaterially reduce wear and lost motion, and at the same time if the beambe improperly hung, the strut and tension member canted, (see Fig. 2,)the torsional strain, (when the brakes are applied,) which wouldotherwise be transferred from the tension member through the compressionmember to the brake-heads, will, owing to the limited rotary movementbetween the compression member and slip-sleeve, pass from the tensionmember through the slip-sleeves to the brake-heads,- thus relieving thecompression member, which will be subjected to compressive strains only.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-'-' 1. In a brake-beam, having a strut, a tensionmember, a compression member and a brake-head, the combination with thecompression member of a loose or slip sleeve capable of rotarymovementon the compression member and provided with a slot for the en'- tranceof the tension member and means for engaging -the brake-head;substantially as and for the purposesspeciiied.

2. In a brake-beam, having a strut, a tension member, a compressionmember, and a brake-head, the combination with the compression member ofa loose or slip sleeve capable of rotary movement on the compressionmember, and provided with a slot for the entrance of the tension memberand a notch for engaging a lng in the brake-head; substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

3. In a brake-beam having a strut, a tension member, a compressionmember and a brake-head, the combination with the compression member ofa loose or slip sleeve capable of rotary movement on the compressionmember and provided with means for engaging the tension member and thebrake-head; substantially as and for the purposes speci- `bfied.

p 4. In a trussed brake-beam, the combina- ICO it" 1 i v In testimonywhereof I-afxmy signature, in presence of tWo witnesses, this 28th dayof xo December, 1897.

PHILIP B. HARRISON.

Witnesses:

E. T. WALKER, P. J. CUNNEEN.

